Shock-absorber.



'0 LAfO'RT E. SHOCK ABSORBER.v

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1913.

71,177,876. Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1' WITNESSES; OR

A S LAPOR7'5 W BK i fro/ fr.

Unrrnn STATES PA CHARLE$ LAPURTE, OF 'NEW YORK, N. Y. 7

' were.

Application filed November 22, 1913.

i in the conntyand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbers, of which the fol- ,lowing is a full, clear and exact specification.

' ]"My invention relates to means for retarding or modifying the action 'of vehicle l'springs, and the same has for its objectmore particularly to provide a shock absorber for motor vehicles in which the retarding action exerted-by the shock absorber gradually in- I :c reases'as thedistance between the axle and ,the vehicle body becomes greater due to the A expanding action of the vehicle sprin Further said invention has for its ob- 2 j'ectto provide a shock absorber in which the retarding action is produced by the compression of one or more elastic bodies arliranged at the pivotal point of a'pair heated members which have their other ends 325 pivotally attached to the vehicle body and the axle orsome other part of the'running ear. .Further said invention has for its object to provide a shock absorber comprising a pair of pivotally connected arms having a plurality of elastic cushions arranged about their connected ends, of which elastic cushions certain are adapted to become opera- .tiie as the outer ends of said arms are ex -tended beyond the neutral position, and

other ofsaid elastic cushions to become operative as the outer ends of said arms are moved toward each other beyond said neutral position. i

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends my invention consists in the novel details of construction and in the combination, connection and arrangement q of parts hereinafter more fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

I In the accompanying drawings iorming a Z part of the specification, wherein like numerals indicate like parts,l*igure 1 1s a sideview showmg a port-ion of a motor ve- 5 hide with one form of shock absorber constructed according triand'en'ibQdying-my in vention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an en larged detail side view showing the shock.

from the vehicle, Fig. 3

absorber detached 1'55 is a section taken on the line 3"3'0'f Fi ,Specificati0n of Letters Yatent.

SHOCK-ABSORBER.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

Serial No. 802,367.

shifting one of the arms laterally in either direction around the bolt. 7

In said drawings 10 designates a part of the chassis or vehicle body, 11 the axle, 12 thepart of an elliptical or semi-elliptical spring secured to said axle, and 13 the shock absorber.

The shock absorber 13 comprises a pair of members 1 1, 17 The member 14: is a single arm and is provided at its inner end with a circularhead 11 which ismadematerially thicker than the body portion of said arm lel, and is provided with a large central internally-threaded opening 14". The outer end of said member or single arm 14 is provided upon its opposite sides with washers or flat bosses 14", 14 which are rigidly secured to said arm, and the entire end provided with an opening 14, which is adapted to receive a stud or bolt 16 whereby said arm may be pivotally secured to the vehicle chassis or body 10..

The member 15 comprises two arms 15*, 15 which are secured together at their outer ends with a spacing "washer 15" therebetween The outer endsof the arms 15*;15" of said double member, and the spacing washer 15" intermediate the same are provided with an opening 15 to receivea belt or stud 17 whereby said arm may be pivotally secured to a clip ,or other suitable attaching means provided upon the axle 11. At their inner ends the arms 152, 15 are provided with separated circular heads 15, 15 which correspond in outline with and embrace the head 14 of the arm 14.

18 denotes a bolt having its opposite ends screw-thread ed and provided with an enlarged intermediate portion 19 having external screw threads 20 thereon adapted to engage with thescrew-threaded opening 14",provided in the head 14* of the arm 14. The enlarged intermediate portion 19 of said bolt 18 is provided at each side of said screw threads 20 with flat or cutaway portions21, 21 which and to said bolt 18. Upon the opposite pro- Jecting ends of said bolt are disposed elastic cushions 22, which substantially correspond in diameter with the heads 15 at the inner ends of the arm members 15*, 15. The elastic cushions 2'2, 22 are preferably made of rubber and each provided with a large central opening adapted to receive freely the flattened portions 21, 21 of the stud 1S, and a circular series of openings 22. which are arranged concentrically with said large central opening 524, 2% denote washers which are disposed upon the outer n'ojecting threaded ends of the bolt 18 and bear against the outer sur faces of the elastic cushions 22. 22. aml 25, denote nuts working upon the opposite threaded ends of said bolt 18 whereby said elastic cushions may be intially compressed to the extent necessary to provide the desired degree of retarding action the device requires.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: When the shock absorber is applied to a vehicle the arms ll, 15 are firstso adjusted relatively to each other that the elastie cushions :22. .22 will be about equally compressed by the adjusting nuts 25. 25. It the vehicle body be caused to rise upon the running gear when the wheels encounter an obstruction in the road. the double arm 15 to which the bolt 18 is keyed will cause said bolt and the screw portion 20 thereof to rotate relatively to the intermediate head 14 of th arm H. and as said screw portion 20 rotates it will tend to move said intermediate hcad H laterally upon the bolt 18, and in so doing will force one of the outer surfaces of said intermediate hcad against the imTer side of one of the heads l5, 15 of the double arm 17: and cause the same to crowd or compress the elastic cushion against the inner side of one of the washers Ll. 'i-l. 'lhc clastic cushions serve to retard the movement ol said intcrnn-diatc head with a gradually incrcasing resistance which prevents the arms ll. [5 from moving i'rccly relatively to each other, and thus retard or modify the undue movement of the vehicle sprin".

Should the vehicle body move downwardl too abruptly the action of the apparatus will be the revcrsc of that above dcscribcd. That is to say the intermediate head will be forced laterally in the opposite direction upon the bolt 18. and compress the elastic cushions arranged upon that side of the bolt.

In order to permit the elastic cushions :32 to act properly during their compression periods I have providcd the same with a concentric series of openings which allow of the more even and uniform compressing of said cushions and at the same time prevent oi their cdgcs being forced outwardly too far beyond the edges of the heads ll, 15*, and split or be otherwise injured thereby.

It is obvious that if I desire to retard the action of the vehicle spring in one direction only, 1'. c. up or down. one of the cushions 22 with its outside washer and its adjusting nut may be dispensed with, and the bolt 18 secured at one end directly to one of the heads 15 of the double arm 15.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is.-

1. shock absorber co 'iprising a pair of arms having registering ends. a pivot extending through said registering ends. said pivot and the pivoted end portion of one of said arms being provided with co-acting means to move said end laterally upon rotation of the pivot, the pivoted end of the other of said arms being held against rotation with respect to said pivot and being free to move laterally thereon. and an elastic cushion arranged upon said pivot adjacent the outer surface of the pivoted end of said other arm. substantially as specified.

2. A shock absorber comprising a pair of arms, ,a head on one of said arms provided with a threaded opening. a head on the other of said arms registering with the head on said first-named arm and provided with an aperture. :1 bolt extending through the heads and provided with a thread engaging the threaded opening in the head of said firstnamcd arm for moving said haul laterally .against the registering surface of the head of said second-named arm. the head of said sccoml-naincd arm being free to move in a lateral direction. and an elastic cushion arranged upon the outcr cndot' the bolt which extends beyond the head of said seconduamed arm. substantially as specified.

arms. a hcad on one of said arms provided with a screw-threaded opening. a pair of heads on the other of said arms embracing the head of said first-named arm and provided with apertures. a bolt extending through said heads provided with a screwthrcadcd portion engaging with the screwthrcad-al opening in the head of said lirstnamed arm for moving the head of said firstnamcd arm laterally in either direction against the opposing surface of the heads of said sccond-named arm. and elastic cushions arranged upon each cml of said bolt. substantially as specified.

l. shock absorber comprising a pair of arms. a head on one of said arms provided with a screw-thrcaded opening. a pair of heads on the other of said arms embracing the head of said lirst named arm and provided with apertures. a bolt extending through said heads provided with a screwthreaded.portion engaging with the screw threaded opening in the head of said lirsi '5. A shock absorber com )risin" a )air of I named arm for moving the head of said first .3 engaging with the screw-threaded opening in the head of said first named arm, elastic named arm laterally in either direction against the opposing surface of the heads of said second named arm, elastic cushions arranged upon each end of said bolt, and means arranged upon said bolt for adjusting the initial tension of said elastic cushions, substantially as specified.

5. A shock absorber comprising a pair of arms having intermeshing heads at their corresponding ends, a bolt extending through said heads, a screw-threaded portion on'said bolt engaging with one of said heads whereby to move the same laterally in either direction upon said bolt and against the surfaces of the opposing heads of the other of said arm members, elastic cushions arranged upon the opposite ends of said bolt, members disposed upon said bolt and engaging said elastic cushions, and adjusting means disposed upon the ends of said bolt and engaging said members Whereby severally to adjust the initial tension of Eaii elastic cushions, substantially as speci- 6. A shock absorber comprising a pair of pivoted arms, a head provided upon one of said airms having a screw-threaded aperture therein, a pair of heads provided upon the corresponding ends of the other of said arms having openings therein registering with the screw-threaded opening in the head of said first named arm, a bolt having an 'enlargedcentral portion, screw threads arranged upon said enlarged central portion cushions arranged upon the opposite ends of said bolt, washers disposed upon the outer ends of said bolts and engaging said elastic cushions, and adjusting nuts disposed upon the ends of said bolt for severally adjusting the tension ofisaid elastic cushions, substantially as specified.

7. A shock absorber comprising a pair of pivotally connected arms; one of said arms having an opening provided with a cam groove, and the other of said arms having a polygonal opening registering With the 'ing the opening in the end of said first named arm, a bolt having a cam projection thereon adapted to engage with the cani groove in said first named arm for moving the end of said first named arm laterally against the end of said second named arm, and polygonal portions adapted to be received by the polygonal openings in saidsecond named arm, elastic cushions arranged upon the opposite ends of said bolt for retarding the movement of said arms with a gradually increasing resistance, and means for several-lv adjusting the initial tension of said elastic cushions, substantially as specified.

8. A shock absorber comprising a pair of pivotally connected arms, one of said arms terminating in a single circular head having a large central screw-threaded opening, and the other of said arms terminating in a pair of correspondingly shaped heads, polygonal openings provided in said last named heads, a bolt having an enlarged intermediate por tion provided with external screw'threads adapted to engage with the screw-threaded opening in said single head of said first named arm, and polygonal portions arranged at the opposite ends of said enlarged intermediate portion adapted to be received by the correspondingly shaped openings in the heads of said second named arm, elastic cushions provided with transverse openings and disposed upon the opposite ends of said bolt, for retarding the movement of said arms beyond their neutral position with a gradually increasing resistance, Washer-son i said bolt bearing against the outer surfaces of said-elastlc cushions, and nuts on the outer ends of said bolt for severally adjustinitial tGIISIOH of said elastic cushions, substantially as specified.

Signed at the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, this 15th day of November, one thousand nine hundred andrthirteen.

CHARLES LAPORTE.

Witnesses:

,ONRAI) A. DIE'JERICH, GUSTAV Lanes, Jr. 

